Supervisory alarm system



June 15 1926. 1,588,835

T. F. HORNADAY ET AL SUPERVISORY ALARM SYSTEM Filed Feb. 19, 1920 4 sheets-sheet 1 June 15, 1926.

T. F. HoRNADAY'E-r A1.

SUPERVISORY ALARM SYSTEM Filed Feb, 19, 1920 4Sheets-Sheet 2' Nl\l i Qlllh.

June T5 1926.l 1,588,835

T. F. HORNADAY Er AL SUPERVI S GRY ALARM SYSTEM Filed Feb. 19, 1920 4 sheets-sheet' s Patented June 15, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,588,835 PATENT oFFICE.

THOMAS F. HORNADAY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND GUSTAVUS E. KITTELBERGER, OF

SHELBY, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE AUTOCALL COMPANY, OF SHELBY, OHIO, A COR- PORATION 0F OHIO.

SUPERVISORY ALARM SYSTEM.

Application led February 19, 1920. Serial' No. 359,873.

The presentimprovements, relating, as indicated, to a supervisory alarm system, is illustrated as applied to a so-called automatic fire extinguishing system, in which a pipe or series of pipes extends throughout l.the vbuilding to 'be protected, such pipes being provided with sprinkler heads that open whenever subjected to a predetermined temperature, and are constantly kept filled with water, usually from a supply tank atV a higher elevation, so that when said heads open a stream or spray of water will be discharged at the pointof danger. The present alarm system is intended primarily to guard against unwarranted, accidental or unintentional shutting off of the supply of water to such a system, it being understood that the main supply lines or pipes require to be provided with valves in order to enable the shutting off of portions of the system for repairs and other purposes. In other words, the object of the invention is to give notice of the shutting of any such valve at some central station or stations, so that those responsible for the safety of the building may be. advised and so make investigation 'as to the occasion for shutting olf the supply of water, as well as see that such valve is promptly opened again. A further object is o provide a simple apparatus for the purpose stated, one that will not readily get out of order, and require a minimum of' attention. A further object is to provide a plurality of warning signals as well as a per- Ymanent record whenever a valve is thus opened, in order .that such opening may not escape the vigilance of `those concerned.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, butv one of the various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said 'annexed drawings Fig. 1 is a diagram or plan showing the general wiring scheme of our improved system as app-lied to a building equipped with automatic fire extinguishers; Fig. 2 is a more detailed wiring diagram of the system showing details of the apparatus both for transmitting and receiving signals; Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a front and a side elevation of the signal transmitting device or alarm box, which forms a feature of the system, the scale being larger than in Fig.

, 1; Fig. 5 is a detail view in front elevation of the gear train and escapement removed from its associated mechanism as disclosed in Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the main circuits of the system just prior to setting for the alarm, with the rack bar in lowered position; Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing the main circuits of the system, when set to receive an alarm, the rack'bar being elevated, and the pallet locked against movement; Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the code wheel in position to operate the bell and register, and showing the trouble buzzer circuit, and Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view showing the lamp circuit for indicating, when closed, that the system is not in set condition to record a signal from the code wheel.

As indicated in Fig. 1, a number of supply pipes or risers 1 are ordinarily required in van automatic fire extinguisher system of any extent, each such pipe, Ifor example, supplying one floor of the building, or a portion of such :floor if the latter be of considerable area. In each such pipe, for reasons p-reviously stated, it is desirable to have a shutoit valve 2, so that if one of the sprinkler heads thus connected therewith should develop a leak, or a change in the arrangement of the heads be required to be made, the supply of Water to the branch pipes that carry such heads can be temporarily shut olf.

Accordingly, in connection with each such valve we. provide a signal transmitting device 3 with suitable circuit connections as shown in detail in. Fig. 2, whereby, upon closing of an particular valve, various signal devices will be actuated in selected oices about the plant or elsewhere, as desired.

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with a conduit 70 carrying the usual trunk and individual cables.

As previously indicated, the arrangement of the foregoing devices or pieces of apparatus is shown in detail in Fig. 2, such arrangement being shown in connection with a single valve 2 and appropriate circuit connections. In such illustrated arrangement the parts grouped between the lines a, a may be regarded as constituting the signal unit, such unit including a bell 4, recording device or register 5, and two lamps 6, a plurality of such lamps being employed so that if one accidentally burns out another will remain to givethe signal, and a buzzer 7. In addition such unit includes a relay 8 for said bell 4 and register 5, and a second rela 9 for said buzzer 7. The register 5 is pre erably of thel tape punching type, such as illustrated, for example, in U. S. Patent No. 840,051 to J. L. Du F rane, dated J anuary 1, 1907, but any other suitable device capable of making a permanent record may be utilized in its stead.

The mechanism of the signal device or alarm box 3, shown in the upper left-hand corneinof Fig. 2, and on largerscale in Figs. 3 and 4, consists of a gear train, which includes a pinion 10 adapted to rotate a notched sector wheel 11 or other suitable form of code-wheel, in a counter-clockwise direction through the medium of a gear 10a and a pawl attached to gear 10a and a ratchet attached to pinion 10, said pawl and ratchet being designated 10c in Fig. 5. Thus movement of the pinion 10 in the reverse direction has no effect on said wheel 11. There is also fixedly attached to the front of wheel 11, a. second wheel 11b having a single notch as shown.

The speed of the train, and thus'of said sector wheel, is regulated by an escapement wheel 12 and a pallet 13. Said escapement wheel 12 is attached to the shaft carrying the pinion 10b. Sto means are provided, as will be readily un erstood, whereby such sector wheel, with attached notched wheel 11", makes one complete revolution only under the impulse of the weighted rack 20 and regulated by gear train mechanism 10,`

10b, 12 and 13. During its rotation in the fashion just described, the teeth of the sector wheel serve to open and close contacts 14 and 15 a predetermined number of times, depending upon the number of such teeth, it being understood that each signal or alarm boxwill have its sector wheel provided with a different number or arrangement of teeth, whereby the signal sent in therefrom can be identified. At the same time, when such sector wheel starts to turn, contacts 16 and 17 are forced apart so as to open the circuit connected therewith, and hold the same open until the wheel returns to its starting position, when such circuit is again closed.

leffective to raise such armature while the cutting off or breaking of the current therethrough leaves the'armature free to drop under the\iniiuence.of the weight, and so causes actuation of the train of gears by means of the rack. A stop 24 provided with an 'adjusting slot 24", and secured by a/screw .24c to the side of the solenoid mounting, and

another stop 24a within the solenoid core en-V gaged with armature 21 respectively serve to properly limit the downward and upward movement of said armaturefand thus of the l Means are also provided for retaining such weighted armature and thus the rack, in their raised position, irrespective of the flow of current through the solenoid, such means consisting of a holding relay 25 that when magnetized pulls forward armature 26 and moves the extension arm thereof 26a and stop finger 261 up against pallet 13 (see Figs. 3 and 7,) holding the same in place, and so locking the escapement wheel 12 and connected train of gearing against rotation. The current through solenoid 22 is automatically shut oft when the rack reaches the upper limit of its movement by the engagement of such rack with a spring contact 27 thereby separating same from a second contact 28, and thereby breaks the circuit through the winding of the solenoid 22. When this occurs, however, the holding relay 25 is intended to be magnetized so as to retain the pallet in place as just described, the object of the foregoing arrangement being to require the solenoid relay to be energized only While pulling up its weighted armature, since an unnecessary amount of current would be consumed if the solenoid relay vwere required, not only to pull up such wei'ght, but to hold it normally in place. The holding relay on the contrary requires only a very small amount of current, and the current consumption is thus minimized by utilizing it, through the medium of pallet 13, to normally hold the rack, and thus the signal transmitting device, in what may be termed their set position.

The sprinkler system supply pipe l is shown at the right of Fig. 2, the valve 2 therein being illustrated as a familiar type oi gate valve whichis adapted to be opened and closed by the rotation of a hand-wheel, which does not need to be further explained. Normally of course this valve is open so that the distributing pipes or lines leading ioo from such pipe may be supplied with water under a proper head. Associated with the valve 2 is a switch 31 that is shown merely in diagrammatic form in the drawings, since the details of its construction have nothing to do with the more general features constituting the present invention.- As shown in Fig. 2 this switch comprises contacts 32 and 33 that, in the normal open condition of the valve, are closed, but are arranged to be separated immediately upon closing movement of the valve being initiated by rotation of the aforesaid handwheel, the upstanding arm and lateral extension 32, carrying the contact 32 away, from the contact 33, fixed to the supporting plate 33. These contacts in the valve switch are included in the positive side 34 ot the main power circuit, the source of power or current being shown as consisting ot a battery 35, and when such contacts are closed they allow current 'to flow through the line 36 to a terminal 37 on the signal transmittingY device, or alarm box, that is connected with contact 16. This contact 16 being normally closed against contact 17, the current passes through them and thence to contact 27 which, as described above, is normally held open by the rack. The current accordingly travels through the winding of the holding relay to terminal 38 in said alarm box, the last mentioned terminal being connected with a terminal 39 in the recording station which is in turn connected to the negative side of the main battery, thus completing the circuit.

With the contacts 14 and 15 in the alarm box normally closed, current flows from 'the positive side of the main battery 35 connected with terminal 40 in the recording station, through terminal 41 in said alarm box to said contacts 14 and 15; thence to terminal 42 in the alarm box;l thence to terminal 43 in the recording station; thence through the winding o the register and alarm bell relay 8, to terminal 44 in the recording station, which is on the negative side of the line. Under the circumstances stated, said register and alarm bell relay is energized so as to hold its armature down, and thus to separate contacts 45 and 46 controlling the shunt or sub-circuit 47, which parallels a portion of the main circuit and in Vwhich the bell 4 and register 5 are preferabl included in series as shown, al-

' though t ey may be operated in multiple,

if desired. The result of the separation of contacts 14 and 15 will obviously be to brealz the circuit through the relay, thus closing said contacts and the shunt circuit through such bell and register, as a result of which both the latter are actuated. T he means for separating the contacts 14, 15, are the projections on the code wheel 11, as is clearly shown in Fig. 8. y

The winding of the buzzer relay 9 is connected through leads directly across the power leads at terminals 40 and 51 in the recording station, as a result of which such relay is normally energized to pull its armature down and separate contacts 52 and 53. Then these contacts are closed, current is allowed to iiow from dry cells 54, constituting an independent battery for the buzzer, and thus cause it to vibrate and send in an alarm. The buzzer relay is used as a trouble relay only to give Warning in case the main line battery is cut olf.

The red llights 6, 6 are connected in multiple in a shunt circuit 55 extending from terminal 51 through termina-l 57 in the terminal block of the recording station, from said last mentioned terminal to terminal 58 in the alarm box and thence through contacts 59 and 60 controlled by armature 26 of holding relay 25 to the other side of the main circuit. `r1`he arrangement of contacts 59 and 60 is such that whenever the holding relay becomes demagnetized so as to allow its armature to fall back, said contacts are closed, thus completing the shu`nt circuit and causing the lights to burn. A

The construction of the several constituent devices or pieces of apparatus and the circuit connections of the system have now. been descrlbed, 1t 1s believed, 1n sufficient detail to warrant a general statement of the mode of operation of the system, which may best be understood by reference to Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9.

Assuming the sprinkler valve 2 is open, the contacts in the valve switch 31 are closed, causing current to flow over line 34 and line 36 as previously explained, passing through the winding of the solenoid relay 22 due to the contacts 27 and 28 being closed, so as to energize such relay and pull up its plunger armature 21 with attached weight 23. The rack extension 20 of such armature is simultaneously raised until, by engaging contact 27', it separates the latter from contact 28 and breaks the circuit to such solenoid relay winding. When the circuit is broken in this fashion, the weighted armature does not fall back, because, when the contacts in the sprinkler valve 'switch are closed, the holding relay 25 is also magnetized, pulling forward its armature 26 and moving the extension arm 26a and stop finger 26b up against pallet 13 so as to lock the escapement Wheel 12 against rotation (see Figs. 3 and 7 At the same time that this armature is pulled up, contacts 59 and 60 are broken, causing the red lights 6 to go out.

The circuit is now normally closed and ready for thenext alarm signal to come in upon the closing of the valve 2. If it is 'undertaken to close such valve, the contacts 32 and 33 on the valve switch are immediately separated, so as to break the circuit through lines 34 and 36, and thereby cause the holding relay 25 to become de-magnetized. As a result the armature of such holding relay is allowed to fall back, which in turn releases pallet 13, the escapement wheel 12 now being free to rotate, subject to the speed regulating effect of the pallet. Accordingly, the weighted armature, with rack, begins to drop, starting the train of gears 10 1n motion and causing the sector wheel 11 and attached wheel 11d to make one complete revolution; When said wheel 11b starts to turn, contacts 1G and 17 open the circuit and hold it open until the wheel returns to its starting position. The object, in other words, of' these contacts is to keep lilies 34 and 36 broken, so that in case the switch at valve 2 should be closed immediately after it is opened, before, in other words, .the signal could otherwise be completed, a complete signal nevertheless will be sent in and register the valve number, without beinginterrupted. The construcf- `tion in question also insures that the sector wheel 11, or code wheel as it may also be called, will stop at the correct position to give a full alarm the next time; otherwise, if the valve 2, for example, were to be thus opened and thereupon closed quickly, such sector wheel would be stopped in the middle of a signal, and the next time the valve was opened so as to operate its switch, the remaining part of the first call would come in, and the number indicated would not be correct.

It will he understood that during the time the sector wheel 11 makesits complete revolution, a code signal is sent in, depending on the number of notches in the sector wheel, this heilig done by opening and closing contacts 14 and 15, as previously explained, V'Vhen these contacts are separated, the register and alarm bell relay 8 is de-magnetized, causing its armature to fall back so as to close contacts 45 and 46 and thereby energize the sub-circuit including bell 4 and register 5,-

causing their armature to operate,.whieh in turn registers the impulses on the register tape and sound the bell, respectively, in consonance with the number and timing of the impulses sent. l

Contacts 14 and 15 close immediately after the code teeth on the sector wheel pass by without waiting for the complete rotation of the wheel and contacts 27 and 28 are also brought together, due to the weight falling back and pulling the rack away-from said contact 27, in which position ^they remain until the contacts in the valve switch are closed again.

When the holding relay 25 becomes demagnetized, due to the separation of the valvevswitch contacts, its armature in falling back connects contacts 59 and 60 in the shunt or sub-circuit 55 that includes the red lights (5, thus causing them to burn. As previously explained, two such lights are preferably utilized, being connected in multiple so as to insure a visual signal in case one should burn out. These lights remain burning until the holding relay is again energized, due to the closing of the valve switch contacts.

One of the features of applicants system, it will be observed, is that the alarm box with code-transmitting device is separate and apart from the switch 31 and so does not need to be located in proximity to the valve 2 but may be at a distance. It is thus feasible to place such box, or a number of boxes, connected with va corresponding nuin ber of valves, in a, room or compartment by themselves, where they will be secure against tampering as well as Safe from factory dust and dirt which might affect their certain operation.

It will be understood, of course, that the ground may be used for the return circuit; in other words, the circuits as shown in Fig. 2 need not be metallic throughout; but as shown in Fig. 1, may be grounded adjacent the valves; also thatv where several valves under supervision are located close together, they'may require but a single alarm box in order definitely to indicate the source of trouble. In such case the wiring scheme may be simplilied by combining certain leads into a single trunk line, as need not be explained to those familiar withvthe art.

Finally, it should be pointed out that our improved system is not necessarily limited to the supervision of sprinkler valves` but may be advantageously employed in a variety of connections, where change in the position or condition of operating devices, of which such valves are merely typical, requires to be reported or recorded at a central station. Obviously, the system may be arranged to send ina signal when a. sprinkler, or any other valve', as for example a steam valve, is either opened or closed. Similarly, it may 'be utilized in connection with temperature control apparatus for heating buildings, in heat-treating furnaces, etc. In such last-mentioned case, the control circuit would be affect-ed by a thermostatically operated switch instead of lby a switch connected with a manually operated gate-valve. Accordingly, vthe reference herein to a valve in a fire extinguisher system, unless the contrary is specifically indiv aaaaeaa vided the means stated by any ot the tollowing claims or the equivalent oi such stated means be employed.

We therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as our invention l. rlhe combination witha valve oi' a tire extinguisher system of a transmitter having a set and a released position, means for resetting said transmitter including an electromagnet, a second electromagnet haying means cooperating with the vtransmitter to hold the transmitter in set position, circuit connections controlled by said valve and including said electromagnets whereby said lirst electromagnet is controlled to reset the transmitter from released position and said second electromagnet is controlled to hold the transmitter is set position when said valve is opened and whereby said second electromagnet is controlled to release said transmitter when the valve is closed, and other circuit connections including signal responsive devices, said last mentioned connections being controlled bythe second electromagnet.

2. The combination with a valve of a lire extinguisher system of a transmitter having a set and a released position, means for resetting said transmitter including an electromagnet, means for cutting out said electromagnet after said transmitter' has been vreset, a second electromagnet having means cooperating With the transmitter to hold the transmitter in set position, circuit connections controlled by said valve and including said electromagnets whereby said first electromagnet is controlled to reset the transmitter fromA released position and said second electromagnet is controlled to hold the tra smitter in set position when said valve is opened and whereby said second electromagnet is controlled to release said transmitter when the valve is closed, and other circuit connections including signal responsive devices, said lastmentioned connections being controlled by the second electromagnet.

3. The combination with a valve of a tire extinguisher system ofa transmitter having a set and a released position, means for 'resetting said -transmitter including an elec tromagnet, means `for cutting out said electromagnet after said transmitter has been reset, a second electromagnet having means co-operating with the transmitter to hold the transmitter in set position and to cut out said first-named electromagnet, 'circuit connections controlled by said valve and including said electromagnets whereby said first electromagnet is controlled to reset the trans'- mitter from released position and said second electromagnet is controlled to hold the transmitter in set position when said valve is opened and whereby said second electromagnet is controlled to release said transmitter when the valve is closed, and

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other circuit connections including signal responsive devices, said last mentioned connecl tions being controlled by the second electromagnet.

4. rlhe combination with a valve of a fire extinguisher system of a code transmitter having a set and a released position, means for resetting said transmitter including an electromagnet, a second electromagn'et having means co-operating with the transmitter to hold the transmitter in set position, circuit connections controlled by said valve and including said electromagnets whereby said controlled by the second electromagnet.

5. The combination with a valve of a lire extinguisher system of a code transmitter having a set and a released position, means for resetting said transmitter including an elect'romagnet, means for cutting out said electromagnet after said transmitter has been reset, a second electromagnet having means co-operating with the transmitter to hold the transmitter in set position and to cut out said irst-named electromagnet, circuit connections controlled by said valve and including said electromagnets whereby said first elecf tromagnet is controlled to resetv the transmitter from released position and said second electromagnet is controlled to hold the ytransmitter in set position when said valve is opened and whereby said second electromagnet is controlled to release said transmitter when the valve is closed, and other circuit connections including signal responsive devices for receiving said code signal, said last mentioned connections be-y ing controlled by the second electromagnet.

Signed by us, this 3rd day of February, 1920. i

THOS. F. HORNADAY. iGrUSTAVUS E. KITTELBERGER. 

